Trollhunters: Quest for the New Heartstone
by KPRS4ever
Summary: PART 3 SPOILERS! Takes place right after the last episode. Jim, Claire, Blinky and the rest of the gang start their journey to New Jersey to seek out the new heartstone. However, many challenges come their way. Jim also begins to face the reality that he cannot be a human again...or can he?
1. Everything Has Changed

**PART 3 SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! WATCH ALL OF PART 3 BEFORE READING!**

* * *

 **Chapter** **1- Everything Has Changed**

The newly transformed Jim Lake Jr. took one last look at his family and friends staying behind in Arcadia. Sure, he was sad that he had to leave them behind as well as a bit nervous and unsure of what new obstacles lay ahead of him. However, he promised to come back. He knew he was coming back. There was no doubt in his mind. He didn't know how long it would be. No matter the case, he knew he would return home in the end. After taking in that last picture-perfect moment, he turned to catch up with Claire, Blinky, and the rest of the group as they head to New Jersey to find a new heartstone for the trolls.

Jim, without hesitation, took Claire's hand and grasped it tightly. Claire turned her head to look at him, seeing the sheer fright in his eyes. She could tell he was uneasy and that he was upset about leaving. He'd been through so much lately, not to mention he's now part troll. The mix of troll and human emotions all at once must drive him mad, not to mention he had to say goodbye to his mother after promising never to. Claire sighed, and then spoke, a little hesitant to ask.

"Jim?" Jim turned his attention towards Claire, then looked at how tightly he was grasping her hand. He started to speak, but then sighed and looked away. Claire took her other hand, took his arm, and hugged it tightly as they walked. "It's going to be okay."

"Yeah, I know…" Jim responded. He then began to think, and then spoke again. "Claire, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Do what? Go with you on this quest?" Claire asked.

"Yeah. That." Jim responded.

"Of course. Why are you asking?"

"Because you're leaving your friends…your mom and dad…I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do."

"Jim, out of everything in my life, the worst thing I could think of is leaving you. I'm with you till the end." She said as she smiled.

"Well..." Jim said while having a loss for words from what Claire just said. He couldn't believe what he heard. He was so overjoyed he didn't know how to express it, and Claire could tell. "Wow...I..." Jim tried to say something back but had difficulty doing so. "Sorry, I'm not good at the whole romance thing. I might just start talking in Spanish again." Jim explained. Claire smiled back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I know a way you can be romantic without speaking Spanish."

"Really? How?" Jim asked before Claire cleared her throat and then spoke.

"My bounty is as boundless as the sea. My love as deep." Claire quoted from Romeo and Juliet. She knew he could respond to that.

"The more I give to thee, the more I have." Jim continued.

"For both are infinite." They said together as they then smiled as they gazed into each other's eyes. Claire then chuckled a little. Jim's face turned from happiness to confusion.

"What's so funny?" Jim asked her.

"You know, I think Romeo and Juliet just turned into Beauty and the Beast." Claire responded. Jim chuckled. He felt very lucky to have a girlfriend like Claire. Their love for one another really was infinite. No matter how he looked, she still loved him. He would never have imagined someone to like him with the way he looked. Sometimes, he even wished he could become human again. He missed being able to be in the sunlight. He missed eating normal food like tacos with Toby and steak with his mom and taking a ride on his now destroyed Vespa with Claire. His happy face turned into a sad one.

"So…on the school roof, when you said you loved me. You even love me as a troll?"

"Well, yeah. Even if you're a troll, you're still Jim Lake Jr., the same person I started dating a year ago."

"And you don't ever wish I was a human again?" Jim asked her. She hesitated to answer.

"Well, um, I-" She began to answer. Jim began to worry. He started to think that Claire doesn't like the fact that he's a troll. He thought as much. He didn't like how he looks as a troll either. As Merlin said though, it's permanent. There's no going back. Suddenly, Blinky interrupted Claire.

"Master Jim! We need your guidance."

Jim and Claire both ran to catch up to their wise friend. Merlin and Nomura were with him.

"Now, Merlin is correct in that there is a heartstone in New Jersey. However, this was centuries ago. The many ways of getting to New Jersey are long gone. We must act quickly as we are losing valuable moonlight. We need to find the fastest route possible."

"I have a map that could help as well as one on my phone." Claire said as she began to ruffle through her bag.

"If you have a map on your phone, why is there a paper map in your bag?" Jim said.

"My dad packed a travel bag for me again. I'm the one that packed my cell phone along with some Papa Skull tracks and a solar-powered charger. He packed a paper map, a poncho, and...chorizo...oh, Papi." Claire said as she shook her head while taking the items out of her bag. She then pulled out the map and headed to a large rock in a clearing in the woods. She laid the map out on the rock as everyone gathered around to examine it.

"Now, here's where we are." Claire said as she pointed to Arcadia on the map.

"And New Jersey is all the way over here." Jim responded as he pointed to New Jersey. Blinky was astonished.

"Oh dear. I have forgotten how far it was." Blinky realized.

"According to my GPS, if we don't count times of sunshine, it's going to take us at least 2 months to get there on foot. That is only if we don't stop for any breaks." Claire explained as she messed with her phone.

"Oh, I thought you were texting like all you do." Merlin said in disgust.

"Merlin, not everyone texts on their phone 24/7." Jim responded.

"No matter, I still don't like it." Jim rolled his eyes in response.

"Let's focus on the task at hand. If we apply the time we take for breaks from walking such long distances it would amount to about 3 to 4 months of travel." Blinky reminded everybody.

"Don't you agree that 4 months is a bit long? I don't necessarily need a heartstone but pure trolls do in order to survive." Nomura responded.

"Exactly. We have already been without a heartstone for half a year already. I'm afraid if we don't find another heartstone, we will have more concerns." Blinky stated.

"Like what?" Jim asked.

"Like I said when you first became the Trollhunter, the heartstone is our life source. It is what keeps us alive and walking in the shadows. I fear that if we don't find the heartstone soon, we will all be but a stone. The same fear now is on you as well, Master Jim." Jim gasped. He'd never put into consideration what would happen if he didn't have a heartstone nearby. The mere thought of it scared him. All he considered is how he would save the world from the wrath of Gunmar and Morgana. Claire also gasped along with him. They both looked at each other in concern.

"We need to find a faster way there. There must be something. Anything. Maybe a gyre or a transportation device like how Claire's shadow staff was?" Jim added to the conversation. Blinky paced back and forth thinking of what there could possibly be nearby that would aid them in their quest.

"There was a gyre that traveled from Arcadia to New Jersey long ago. but those ways of travel are long gone. They were destroyed to prevent the gum-gums from traveling to other lands."

"If I may add, I know of a village called Las…Vegas. There is a troll village right below it where there might be some useful information." Nomura said. Blinky then snapped his fingers with an idea in mind.

"Of course! The Paiute trolls!"

"Paui what?" Jim asked.

"Paiute. They derived their name from the Native Americans that have settled on this land many centuries ago. They are masters when it comes to potions and spells. They might also have some information about ways to travel to New Jersey faster than 4 months. They may be able to help us."

"Then, what are we waiting for? Let's head to Las Vegas." Claire said as they began to walk again. Jim began to walk as well, but then stopped, thinking.

"Wait, shouldn't we travel in a different way other than walking to Las Vegas? Isn't there a troll village somewhere nearby?"

"Alas, Master Jim, the closest troll village is Las Vegas. Since Trollmarket is now destroyed and the heartstone is no longer alive, the gyre is now just a metal sculpture. It no longer serves its purpose."

"If we want to get to Las Vegas, we need to find a faster way. If we count breaks and sunlight, it'll take about 6 days to get there." Claire stated as she looked at her GPS.

"Unfortunately, walking is our only option until we get to the Paiute village. We better hurry. We're burning moonlight." Blinky said. They began to walk again. Jim, however, walked a little slower than the others and stayed in the back of the pack, pondering over some things.

* * *

3 days go by. The woods turned into deserts and it seemed as if they were in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, with Claire's GPS, they were about to find their way around. Nothing eventful really happened though. During the nights, they walked and during the daytime, they hid to combat the sunlight. Claire and Merlin had to resort to a night shift schedule, so they both could sleep during the day. The trolls didn't need to sleep. Now that Jim is a troll, neither did he. He found it weird that he didn't need any. The days started to feel extremely long for him. Being awake all 24 hours of the day felt like the days would never end.

They arrived at an area called South Avawatz Mountains where a cave was found to help the trolls evade the beaming hot sun. Claire got her sleeping bag ready in order to sleep for a few hours. She saw that Jim was gazing at her from a distance.

"Jim, what is it?" Claire asked him before he realized she had noticed what he was doing. He shook his head in order to bring himself back down to earth. He began to walk over to her.

"Sorry, I uh…I just like looking at you that's all. I'm your boyfriend. It's what I do."

"Well yeah, I can tell with those eyes." Claire responded. Her eyes deepened as she looked at Jim. She then caressed his stone cheek with her hand. "You know, your eyes are just the same as when you were human; a beautiful ocean blue." Claire said before smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile after seeing her do the same. It was the one thing he cared about the most; her happiness. Claire began to get herself in the sleeping bag.

"Yeah, one of the only human qualities I have now. You know, Toby is right about one thing." Jim said as he watched her settle herself in the sleeping bag.

"What?"

"If I get a haircut, a pair of sunglasses, and a dentist, I could almost look human again."

"Jim, I wasn't kidding when I told you that you're not hideous in any way." Claire said before Jim smiled again.

"Thanks for that. What would I do without you Claire." He said before kissing her forehead. "I would kiss you on the lips but…you know…troll breath. Have a mint on you?"

"I should in my pack. Go ahead and grab one." Claire said as Jim walked over to her pack and looked through it to find a mint. He'd never had a mint before as a troll so he didn't know if he would like it or not. Even if he didn't like it, he would still make a sacrifice and eat it for Claire's sake. As he buried his troll-like four-fingered hand into the bag, he came across a blue fabric. He took it outand gasped.

"C-Claire?" Jim called to her.

"Is everything okay Ji-"She stopped as she noticed what he was holding. It was one of his blue turtle-neck sweaters from his human days. "Jim...let me explain."

"Why do you have one of my sweaters…" Jim asked. He wasn't angry. He was about to cry though. Claire got out of her sleeping bag and walked over to him.

"Look, I was in your house around the time you went into the elixir and-" Claire said until she was interrupted.

"Do you really miss me being a human? Be honest with me. Please. I won't be mad" Jim said as she took a breath. She then began to tear up. Jim's face filled with guilt from seeing her cry. He never liked seeing the one he loves so sad.

"When you went into that elixir, I had no idea what happened to you or if I ever were to see you again. I couldn't bear the thought of it." Claire said as Jim listened. "I felt the same way when you were battling Gunmar and Morgana. Losing you means losing my whole world. And if I lost you again I…I…" She started crying even harder. Jim felt so guilty of making her feel like this. He ran over to her and grabbed her in a hug. He held her tightly. He then took his hand and caressed her cheek.

"Claire, I'm not going anywhere. I promise. There is no way I am leaving your side. And another thing; Even though I change into a troll, it doesn't mean I change my love for you. Like you said, 'Inside, I'm still me.' Okay?" Claire sniffled and then looked into Jim's blue eyes.

"Okay." Claire said as she smiled. "To answer your question though, there are days when I do. Don't get me wrong. I love you no matter what. Whether you're a troll or human or even…oh, I don't know, a quesadilla."

"Wait, a quesadilla?"

"It's been a long 3 days, Jim."

"Tell me about it. I haven't slept in 3 days." Jim said as he quietly chuckled. She then chuckled with him.

"Anyway, yes I do sometimes. That shouldn't matter though. What matters is that I will love you no matter what the case." Claire said before noticing Jim's face saddened. "Is that what you were worried about?" Claire asked as Jim let go of her slightly and held her hands.

"Not exactly. I still feel like everyone would like it if I was a human again. Actually, I want to be human again too." Jim said as he got choked up.

"Oh…Jim." She said as she caressed his cheek. Jim was in tears. Claire pulled him back into a hug. After a long hug, she lets him go and sat on her sleeping bag. She patted the ground right next to her.

"Stay here with me. You could use my company." She said as she got back into her sleeping bag and lied down. Jim nodded to her and laid next to her. They both gazed at each other once again as Claire stroked his cheek with her hand. "It's gonna be okay, Jim." She said as Jim held her hand with his. He gazed into her eyes, then leaned in for a kiss. She did the same. The kiss lasted only for a few seconds. Their lips came apart.

"Huh, wow."

"What? Is it my breath? I had the mint!" Jim asked, concerned.

"No. That was my first time kissing a troll." Claire said before seeing Jim upset. "And it was remarkable." Claire said. Jim chuckled, then smiled and stroked her hair.

"Get some sleep. Don't stay up on my account, okay?"

"Okay." Claire said as she closed her eyes. She fell asleep a few minutes later. Jim continued to lay there, watching her sleep. He then shifted his gaze towards the blue turtle-neck laying on a rock beside them.

"There has to be a way to change back."

* * *

Merlin decided to seclude himself a little farther away from everyone else in the cave in order to sleep. He felt as if the Trolls would keep him awake. He began to set up what was given to him. He took out a sleeping bag from his pack. Merlin pondered his sleeping bag for a while. He couldn't understand a lot of things in this day and age. Things had gotten way too technical for him to begin with. The only aspect of his life that was complicated was his magic. Now, in his opinion, he felt as if everything was too hard to comprehend.

"Agh, there's never any breathing room in this thing." He took the sleeping bag and threw it to the side. He then waved his hands in a particular motion. A green light began to surround his hands. The light was then directed towards the spot where the sleeping bag used to be. A king size bed began to form in front of Merlin. It wasn't particularly up to his standards, but it was enough to make him comfortable. The bed was green, almost the same color as the light that came from his hands.

"That should be…eh…satisfactory." He said as he began to get in bed. He put the covers over him and rested his head on the down-pillow that he had made with his magic. "You'd think to be asleep for centuries, you wouldn't need any more sleep at all." He said after letting out a big yawn. The past 3 days had been very boring to him. There was nothing to do but walk, walk, and walk some more. He found it nice to be able to rest and have some time to himself for a few hours. After a while he fell asleep. Suddenly, his eyes opened. However, he hadn't woken up. He was still asleep. His eyes glowed a bright yellow. Suddenly, a voice came out of him, but not his own. It was that of a woman's voice.

"Well, hello Merlin. Did you miss me?"

 **CHAPTER 2 COMING SOON**


	2. Separated

**PART 3 SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! WATCH ALL OF PART 3 BEFORE READING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2- Separated**

"Morgana," Merlin responded. His eyes returned back to normal. He was baffled as to how she even got into his mind. "You shouldn't be here. We-" He grunted, preventing her from controlling him. "We put an end to you. We trapped you-" He struggled again. "In the shadow realm!" He held his head, preventing Morgana from controlling his mind. Morgana chuckled. Suddenly, his eyes turned back to glowing yellow.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You really think you could defeat me? You may have gotten your magic back, old man. However, you didn't take into account what you also got from me." Morgana explained. Merlin was on the verge of completely giving up and realized he has made a huge mistake.

"No...your mind essence...it can't...it couldn't have possibly!" Merlin exclaimed, holding his head in pain. He couldn't hold back any longer. Morgana took complete control.

"Remember how I said there were so many ways of killing you? Well, this...is one of them." Merlin couldn't do anything else but scream from the pain until silence struck. His head drooped down and then slowly lifted back up.

"I'm back, Trollhunter, and I am coming for you."

* * *

Night time had arrived and the trolls were getting ready to head onto the trail once again. Jim had to go help the trolls prepare for tonight's walk so he wasn't lying down with Claire, who was still asleep. Jim walked over to Claire to wake her. He noticed her tossing and turning. Thinking she was having a bad dream, he rushed over.

"Claire? Hey, Claire?" Jim called to her. He patted her shoulder. She suddenly jolted up, hyperventilating and to the point of tears. Jim noticed it right away and held her face with his hands. "Hey, hey, it's okay. It's okay. Everything's alright." He said to her as he wiped her tears.

"No, no it's fine. Um...I just...had a nightmare." She said, low on breath. She tried to hold herself together until she started to tear up again. She grabbed Jim and pulled him in a tight hug.

"It's okay Claire. The nightmare's over." He said as he held her. He leaned his head against hers. "If you don't mind me asking, what was the nightmare about?" He asked her as she began to calm herself down in order to speak. She was still sniffling quite a bit.

"Well...I...I was at home in Arcadia. I was in my house watching TV. I was all alone and...suddenly the lights go out. The room is pitch black. Then there was...a dark figure. I think it was a man. I'm not entirely sure. His eyes glowed a bright yellow and he was surrounded by green fire….he…." Claire began to tear up again. "He was holding you by the collar of your armor...you….y-you…" Claire couldn't speak anymore. The nightmare was too much for her to handle. She started crying once again. She grabbed onto Jim even tighter. Jim realized what happened to him in the nightmare.

"Don't worry. I'm here. I'm here." Jim said. He grabbed her even tighter. He held her and stroked her head. She started to calm down. Blinky walked over, noticing her in tears. He rushed over to see if everything was okay.

"Claire, are you alright? What happened, Master Jim?" Blinky asked, concerned.

"She's okay, Blink. She just had a nightmare; nothing to worry about." Jim said, reassuring Blinky that he had it all under control.

"Well, that's a relief. Now, let's get a move on! We have a long way to go tonight." Blinky said as he pointed his finger in the air proudly. He then walked away to give the two some space. Jim and Claire let go of each other and started packing their stuff. Jim didn't have much to pack up. He didn't have anything but a few things of silverware to eat. It's one of the only kinds of food he liked as a troll. Claire noticed him packing all the forks and spoons in his bag.

"Hey Jim, I hope you don't mind me asking but why all the cutlery?" Claire asked as she pointed to it.

"Oh uh...funny story. I like to eat silverware." Jim said. Claire looked at him like he was crazy. Jim shrugged, "Apparently, it's normal for trolls to eat things like this."

"I'm just trying to figure out what it would taste like for a troll. I'd think it would taste really metallic." Claire said. She scratched her head, pondering what the taste of forks and spoons would be like for a troll. As Jim thought of an explanation, he looked at the ones in his hands.

"Well, it tastes...I don't know...savory, I think." Jim said before laughing. "Huh, never thought in a million years I would say that silverware tastes good to me." He then continued to put it all in his pack. Claire also began packing up her sleeping bag. She stopped for a second.

"Hey, Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think my nightmare...I don't know...meant something? Like, what if it was a vision or something?" Claire said. She began to worry. She never wanted anything that happened in that nightmare to come true. No one would. After she finished speaking, Jim began to help her pack her stuff.

"I would hope not. I think it was just from everything that you've experienced in the past year and a half. You've been through a lot. It's understandable to have nightmares like that." Jim said. Claire looked down. Gently taking her chin in his hand, he lifted her head to meet his gaze. "You know what else? We've defeated every bit of evil that has come our way. So, even if anything like that guy in your nightmare that was covered in green flames did come our way, we would put a stop to him, just like we have with everything else." Jim said with a smile. Claire smiled back.

"Okay. Thanks. I needed to hear that." Claire said before placing the last item that was sitting out in her pack. She zipped her pack up and put it on her back. She leaned towards him and kissed his cheek. "Well, we got a long way to go today. Ready?"

"Ready." Jim responded. They both walked over to Blinky. "Hey Blink, where are we going to stop today?"

"Well, considering the fact that both Claire and Merlin need to restock on food for human consumption, we will be halting our travels in the town of Jean in Nevada. I have heard tales of a small building with rows of bagged consumables and bottled liquids."

"That's what you call a convenience store, Blinky." Claire said. She chuckled.

"Ah! Well, yes. We will be stopping at, as you call it, a convenience store. There you can restock on your rations." Blinky stated before patting Claire's shoulder. As Blinky walked away, Jim and Claire both looked at each other and shook their heads, smiling at Blinky's misknowledge of everyday human things. Jim held out his hand.

"You ready?" Jim asked her. Claire took his hand gladly.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Claire responded. Both of them started walking outside the cave with the rest of the group. Behind them, Merlin was peeking from behind a large rock in the cave. He went back behind the rock. His eyes turned back to yellow.

"Blast, how could she have dreamed this. If these are visions, I'll have to lay incredibly low." Morgana said. Jim, up ahead, realized that Merlin wasn't with them. He stopped along with Claire to make sure he was okay.

"Hey, Merlin! You alright?" Jim called out. Merlin got up and coughed a bit. He came out from behind the rock with a cheeky smile.

"Ah, yes, yes, quite. Go on, mighty Trollhunter." He said as he made hand motions telling him to keep going. Jim and Claire began to walk again. His eyes glowed yellow again and Morgana spoke.

"Yes, go. Go while you still can." She said with an evil smirk.

* * *

Every day seemed to get even more and more boring as each night went on. They walked farther and farther from civilization with every hour that slipped away. Claire wasn't too bored. She had some Papa Skull to listen to. Jim noticed her jamming to her tunes. He shook his head and chuckled. All of a sudden Blinky appeared next to him.

"Master Jim? If you pardon me by asking, you told me that Claire had a nightmare?" Blinky asked. He placed his hand on Jim's shoulder. Jim turned.

"Oh, uh, yeah. She did. She okay now though…" Jim said. They both gazed back to her. "Obviously." He chuckled at the sight of her dancing to the music.

"May I ask what occurred in her nightmare?" Blinky said. Jim explained.

"Well, she dreamed that she was in her house in Arcadia. Then there was this guy that had green flames all over him and glowing yellow eyes." Jim said, watching blinky think over his words. He grew silent. Jim grew concerned. "...Blinky?"

"Master Jim, if she experiences any more nightmares, I would keep a close watch on them." Blinky responded. Jim's eyes widen. He stopped moving. Blinky stopped walking too.

"Why? Is there something wrong with her? Is Claire okay?" Jim said. He grabbed Blinky's shoulders. Blinky knew how much Jim cared for her since the very beginning. He'd noticed how much Jim's love for her has grown since the escape from Trollmarket. Since she risked her life, Jim has gone to extreme measures to make sure she was safe. Blinky held his hands up to calm him down.

"Claire is perfectly alright I believe. I just feel like these nightmares might hold some importance." Blinky explained.

"How so?" Jim asked, calmer.

"Ever since the tie she had between herself and Morgana, she has learned many new things. She learned more techniques with her shadow staff, such as incantations and enchantments. She gained some of Morgana's mind. Due to the nature of Claire's and Morgana's mind becoming one, she might possibly be able to see into the future. She may be able to see events that haven't even occurred yet in our world. Her dreams could be valuable information to what may lie ahead of us."

"So...you're saying she's having visions? Not dreams or nightmares?" Jim inquired.

" I am not entirely sure about it. It's not definite, but it's a slight possibility. Nevertheless, we need to keep a close eye on her dreams and nightmares. If she has any more, we need to pay close attention to them in case they hold any significance." Blinky said. They both looked over at Claire once again, still moving to the music. Blinky glanced at Jim, noticing distress. He began to comfort Jim once again.

"Master Jim, she's perfectly safe. You have nothing to fear." Blinky told him. Jim took a second before glancing at Blinky with an understanding nod. Claire kept on dancing to her music until noticing Jim and Blinky looking over at her. She froze. She chuckled and waved in embarrassment.

Merlin was walking a few feet behind them, eavesdropping into their conversation. A shadow of genuine anger passed over his face for the briefest of moments. Nomura looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What's with the face?" Nomura asked him.

"Oh…" Morgana said, forcing Merlin to smile. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

* * *

Hours passed. Jim, Claire, and the rest of the group were still trekking in the middle of nowhere. All that they could see was mountains, sand, and small green plants for miles. The moon was high in the sky so there was no fear of the sun coming out any time. Blinky was ahead of the group, glancing at the map.

Jim and Claire were walking together and talking to keep themselves occupied. Jim and Claire noticed that the winds started to pick up.

"It wasn't this windy a few hours ago, was it?" Jim mentioned. They both looked around.

"I don't think so." Claire responded. They heard a rumbling sound. They looked ahead of them, noticing a gigantic sandstorm ahead. Fear flashed across their faces. Jim and Claire rushed over to Blinky to warn the others.

"Blinky! Sandstorm! We need to take shelter now!" Jim said. Blinky noticed and started to panic.

"Everyone! Take cover! Save yourselves!" Blinky yelled. They scattered, looking for anything they could use to protect themselves. Nomura found a tunnel nearby. She called out to the others.

"There's a tunnel over here! It looks large enough to fit us all in!" She yelled.

"Everyone! To the tunnel!" He loudly proclaimed, pointing to the tunnel. Sand was starting to blow on them. Suddenly, a tornado was taking form. Jim and the others gasped in shock. They ran faster to the tunnel. Jim noticed Claire wasn't next to him. He called out her name as loud as he could.

"Claire! Claire, where are you!" Jim heard coughing in the distance. He turned and saw her trying to combat the strong winds. She could barely move a step forward. "I'm coming, Claire!" He yelled as he ran towards her. Reaching her, he picked her up and ran to the tunnel. Everyone else was right outside the tunnel, calling out to them.

"Hurry Master Jim! The storm is approaching!" Blinky screamed to them. The storm grew even stronger. Jim struggled, pushing himself against the wind of the sandstorm. He grunted, pushing harder and harder towards the tunnel. He was a few feet away, close enough to reach. Blinky stretched out all four of his hands.

"Blinky! Grab my hand!" Jim yelled, reaching out as hard as he could. As they continued to reach, the winds got stronger. All of a sudden, Jim and Claire were being pulled by the tornado's grasp. In an instant, they disappeared into the sandstorm. Blinky couldn't see them anymore.

"Jim! Claire!" Blinky called out, still reaching.

"We need to keep moving!" Nomura said as they went further into the tunnel. Blinky was in a full-fledged panic. In the darkness, Merlin smiled, his eyes flashing a victorious yellow.

 **CHAPTER 3 COMING SOON**


	3. Means of Survival

**PART 3 SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! WATCH ALL OF PART 3 BEFORE READING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3- Means of Survival**

The group traveled through the tunnels, getting farther from the wrath of the sandstorm. Blinky was still in shock over what happened. He had no idea where Jim and Claire could be. There was no telling if they were alive or not. Nomura noticed how distraught he was. She took control of the group. The tunnels became darker as they ran deeper into them. A few seconds later Blinky noticed a light further down the tunnel.

"I believe there is some sort of light further down. We should follow it." Blinky said, pointing towards the direction of the light. Nomura wondered if it was a smart idea to follow it. She nodded, having no choice in the matter.

"This way!" Nomura said. They all began to follow her.

* * *

Jim and Claire were still battling the winds of the storm. The wind and sand hit their faces so hard, Claire's face started to turn red. Jim didn't have a problem because of his stone skin. However, It was difficult for them to see. Jim tried looking desperately for shelter but couldn't find anything around him. He held Claire tightly, trying his hardest not to let her go. He tried to think of something to help them out, but he started to lose the strength to fight the winds. Suddenly, he remembered something that Merlin had said to him when he first became a troll.

 _He is now capable of feats we never thought possible._

Jim looked at his free hand and called his sword. He examined the sword and noticed that words were lining up with the blade. He raised the sword aloft and having no clue what he was about to do, said the words that were inscribed.

 _I call upon an ancient isle_

 _to serve me in my darkest hour_

 _to endure my trial_

 _I bid thee Avalon_

 _Hear me and grant me power._

He began to concentrate. His suit and the sword began to glow a deep crimson. A flash of light erupted at the tip of the blade. It traveled around them, touching down to the ground. He looked around him and observed what just happened. He had made a force field with his blade. He was now able to see the end of the storm through the force field as he held the sword up.

He began to grunt and sweat, struggling to keep the force field around them. It was hard to hold it due to the fact that he was using all of his energy. Yet, if it meant Claire was going to be safe, he would keep it there until he literally passed out. Suddenly, Jim heard moaning. Claire was waking up.

"J...Jim? What's going on?" Claire asked with a dry throat. She looked around her noticing the red force field surrounding her. She heard Jim's grunts and painful yells as he held it up. She couldn't believe her eyes. He was using up all of his energy to combat the storm; all for her life. She was speechless. She noticed the force field was weakening. She took a look at Jim and realized he was getting tired. She held him to give him strength. "Jim! Keep going! Don't stop!" Claire said as an encouragement.

Jim looked behind him and saw her face right next to his. She was all battered and burnt from the sand hitting her delicate face. Due to his weakness, he had trouble speaking. "Claire...I can't….do this!"

"Yes, you can Jim! You _can_ do this! Keep that force field up!" Claire said. She could tell in his eyes that he was starting to give up. She moved in front of him and held his face. His eyes locked on hers. "Jim, focus on me. I _know_ you can do this." Jim began to gain courage. The force field became stronger once again. Gathering all of his strength, he screamed in desperation. Claire looked towards the storm, noticing that it was beginning to weaken.

"Just a little more Jim! The storm's weakening!" Claire cried out. Grunting with the effort of maintaining the force field, Jim let out a loud yell as the storm dissipated. The force field gave out. Exhausted, Jim fell to the ground out of breath and weak.

"We're...alive….whew." Jim said once he was able to catch his breath.

"See, this is why you should always believe what I say." Claire giggled. Jim did the same. She noticed he was too weak to stand on his own. She put her arm around his back and helped him stand. They took a look around. Everything looked completely different after the storm. They couldn't see where the tunnel was anymore.

"Well, now I have no clue where we are." Jim said.

"Me neither…" Claire responded, before realizing what was still on her back. "Wait a second, I still have my pack! Everything's still in it, including…" She reached in and took something from her pack. "...my phone!"

"That's _such_ a relief! So what does it say?" Jim asked as she brought up the GPS on her phone. Jim looked over her shoulder.

"Well, we are apparently in Sandy Valley. We aren't far from Jean." She said, looking straight ahead of her. "Buuuut we have another problem." Claire said fearfully.

"What is it?" Jim asked. Claire pointed to the sky. The sun was starting to come up. "Oh no no no! Shelter! I need shelter!" Jim panicked. He looked around, not having any luck. He didn't know what to do. He was to the verge of burning to death. Claire, whilst in a panic, began to think. She checked to see if the sleeping bag was still on her back. Unfortunately, it was not.

"Oh fudge knuckle! My sleeping bag got lost in the storm!" She wondered if she had anything in her pack. She dumped everything out onto the ground and looked through what she had available. "Okay, let's see, let's see...Oh, thank you Papi!" She exclaimed as she lifted two umbrellas, a throw blanket, and a thermal blanket out from the pack. "We have shade!"

* * *

Blinky and the group headed towards the light in the tunnel. Once they arrived there, they came across fire-lit torches and a room that resembled some kind of hideout. The walls were made of stone and the floor was made out of faded wood. It seemed that it hadn't been used for a long time, judging by the cobwebs and the dust residing in it. Blinky observed everything; the walls, the floors, the ceilings, and even the torches for some useful information as to where they were.

"Why does this place seem familiar to me…" Blinky pondered. He had a strong feeling he knew what this place was. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He began to mentally go through all of the hundreds of books he had read on troll history.

"It looks like this was a shelter of some sort." Nomura added. They all continued to search around the shelter to see if there was anything of use.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Blinky said. He began to examine the stones on the walls. He placed his four hands on a few of them until suddenly, one of the stones he touched glowed a bright white light. The wall the stone was on started to slide into the ground, revealing another tunnel. This time, however, it was not made of stone or dirt, but of crystal.

"Now I know this was not made with human hands." Blinky uttered to himself. He headed into the tunnel. Nomura put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him back a bit.

"Why do I feel as if this is a bad idea?" Nomura added.

"I don't believe we have much of a choice in the matter. We must press on." Blinky stated, pointing ahead as he kept walking. Morgana didn't want to cause any suspicion so she went up to Blinky to talk to him.

"What about our Trollhunter and Lady Claire?" Merlin asked. Blinky looked down to the ground, then sighed.

"If I know Master Jim well enough, I believe...he and Claire will make it through." Blinky responded, even though he was slightly doubtful. Merlin's face flooded with anger once again.

* * *

Jim and Claire used the supplies they had handy to create a haphazard shelter. They found a mountain that was facing the opposite direction of the sun. They propped the two umbrellas against the mountain and draped the normal blanket and thermal blanket overtop to combat the heat. It was a small space, but they were able to make it work as they huddled together inside of it.

The morning had come and the sun was shining. Thankfully, they made the shelter and entered into it in time before the sun started beaming down. Jim was very thankful that Claire was there with him, or else, he would have been dead by now. All he had in his pack were a bunch of forks and spoons.

Jim and Claire were very thankful that there wasn't a single bit of wind blowing. That meant the shelter wouldn't come down any time soon. They didn't mind the tight fit. If they weren't dating, it would have been extremely awkward for them. Claire had her phone out next to them playing some hispanic love songs. She had no idea how Jim felt about Papa Skull so she didn't want to bug him with all of the hard rock she listened to. Jim was curious as to why she wasn't playing any of it.

"Hey, Claire? Don't you wanna play Papa Skull instead of this?" He asked her.

"Nah, it's okay. I like playing this kind of music when you're around. It kind of reminds me of the Spring Fling, don't you think?" Claire said to Jim with a smile.

"Yeah, now that you mention it." He said. He remembered how great that night was. The stars were shining brightly. He had Claire holding tightly to his back on his old 1955 Vespa. It was one of the best nights of his life. He only wished that he could go through that night all over again, except the part where his kiss was interrupted. "That night was great."

"It was." Claire said as her gaze shifted towards him. Jim gazed back at her. As one of the songs ended on her phone, another one began to play. Jim's and Claire's eyes went wide. Ironically, it was the song that they had danced to the night of the Spring Fling.

 _Hoy desperté con ganas de besarte_

 _Tengo una sed de acariciarte_

 _Enredarme a ti y no soltarte_

 _Eres tan embriagante_

 _Eres tú_

"I can't believe you have this song in your playlist!" Jim happily said to her. Claire chuckled. Of course, she had the song on her phone. It was her first dance with Jim and technically, It was her first date with him too. The song continued to play.

 _Quiero contemplarte sin contar el tiempo_

 _Dibujarte con mis puros recuerdos_

 _En mi mente marcarme tus labios, tus besos_

 _Estar aquí otro momento_

 _Eres tú_

"Well, yeah." She said as she picked up her phone and looked at the album art displayed for the song. "This song holds...so many good memories." Jim looked at the phone. He didn't expect what he saw. It wasn't the song's actual cover. It was a picture of him and her on the night of the Spring Fling. He stared at it for a while. It hurt a bit seeing him as a human and Claire noticed. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Jim? Are you okay?" She could tell he wasn't. He sighed and closed his eyes. She didn't know what to say. Instead, she pressed the home button on her phone and brought up her camera.

"I think it's time I changed the album art for this song, don't you?" She asked him. His eyes lit up. He didn't expect that either. His eyes shifted towards hers. They both smiled. They turned their heads to the camera as Claire leaned her head on his shoulder. The phone took a snapshot.

She brought the phone closer to her to see how the picture looked. She kept her head on his shoulder while checking out the photo. They both smiled at the picture. Sure, they both were all dirty and Claire's face was red from the sand being blasted in her face. Nevertheless, they loved seeing the two of them together in a picture, even if it was taken during a time of survival. Jim was even alright with the picture. Even though he was a troll in it, he could see that Claire had the same exact expression as the picture taken during the Spring Fling. He began to understand how much Claire was accepting of his troll form. He realized that it didn't change a thing in terms of their relationship.

"Claire?"

"Yeah?"

"I never...um...responded to you on...on the roof." Jim told her. Claire was confused.

"What?" Claire said. Jim turned his head to her.

"I love you too." Claire was speechless. She couldn't think of anything to say. She dropped her phone as the song was still playing and hugged him tightly, snuggling into him. Jim reciprocated.

"Eres increíble, señorita." He chuckled. She playfully hit him.

"You and that spanish." She replied as they both laughed, still holding each other. They stayed like that for a while as the song started to come to an end.

 _Tenemos planes diferentes_

 _Pero tú siempre en mi mente_

 _Pues mis venas tan sutilmente_

 _Disfrutan tanto quererte_

 _Eres tú_

 _Eres tú_

 _Eres tú_

 **CHAPTER 4 COMING SOON**


	4. Paranormal Activity

**PART 3 SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! WATCH ALL OF PART 3 BEFORE READING** **!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4- Paranormal Activity**

Blinky and the rest of the group walked through the crystal tunnel until they got to the end of it. They came to a long hallway.

"Great gorgous." Blinky said. The walls were dusty and old. There were cobwebs as far as the eye could see. He saw rags draped over what he guessed were statues, lined up against the wall. Positioned in front of each statue's base was a single object. Blinky lifted one of the rags up slightly, discovering they were not statues, but corpses.

"Blauah!" Blinky uttered. He recoiled. As Blinky observed his surroundings, he came across a sign above his head. The sign was in Trollish. He read it aloud.

 _Long departed we have been_

 _locked forever not to be seen_

 _for our lives hath been taken_

 _and we should not be awaken_

 _The curse that binds us still_

 _once undone will bring you ill_

Blinky pondered the poem. He came to a realization. He knew where he was. "Oh, now I know where we are." Everyone turned their heads.

"Are we in a tomb?" Nomura asked.

"Yes, but this tomb holds more of a history than you may believe." Blinky replied. He walked around. "Long ago, these trolls wanted to start a new form of life; a life much unlike that of the Gumm-Gumms. They sought out a life filled with peace and prosperity. During their travels, they confronted the Paiute Native Americans. They came across the great Native American chief, Wovoka." A breeze blew through the tunnels.

"He performed a ritual with his people called the Ghost Dance, meant to bring peace to their lands. The trolls sought out the same peaceful nature as the Paiute tribe. Thus, they performed their own Ghost Dance. However, everything went horribly awry. With the crystals and gems they acquired from Killahead, they used them as an offering. The gems and crystals, however, held a powerful curse; a curse that, combined with the incantations they performed, killed the trolls within a fortnight." An eerie noise filled the tomb. Everyone looked around wondering where it came from. Blinky continued.

"Legend foretells that anyone who disturbs them will suffer the same fate." Again, the sound traveled through the halls. Everyone stiffened except for Merlin. A breeze still blew through the tunnels. Blinky observed the objects that were scattered around the tomb. He came across a few books. He opened one of them to reveal that it was a diary.

"I'm the last one left. We made a mistake. It's taken everyone. Many others have fled for protection. I pray to Deya for their safety." Blinky read aloud. Everyone listened as their eyes blazed with fear. "I'm so cold. My arm and head are all I can move. I cannot think so well anymore. I'm starting to fade." Blinky started to find it difficult to read the troll's handwriting. "I...I won't last for...much…" Blinky stopped reading.

"...that's it. It stops there." Blinky says. He closed the book. A piece of paper fell out of the book. He picked it up to reveal a map. Nomura came behind Blinky.

"What is that?"

"Well, I believe it's a map. I don't know what of, however. If you just give me a brief moment I can figure it out." Blinky responded. He took a close look at the map. He tilted it in different directions just to make sure he was holding it the right way. Nomura's rolled her eyes.

Merlin stood behind the group. He looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to his fingers behind his back, Merlin ran his hands along the tomb walls. As soon as his palm touched the walls, a bright light flashed. Everyone was blinded. Morgana whispered an incantation.

 _Dei malak emp beleasa, kwo mek aleba brua._

The light faded away. Everyone's eyesight returned. Blinky lifted his head, seeing a green light glow from the troll corpses. For a moment, no one moved. A soft groan came from the dead trolls; a low guttural sound that seemed to get louder as it echoed throughout the tunnel. Slowly, the bodies of the dead creaked and moaned with movement.

"Oh no." Blinky said as he came to a horrific conclusion.

"What is it?" Merlin said, his tone innocent.

"The Paiute trolls...they've awoken." Blinky replied.

* * *

Claire was asleep while Jim ate some silverware from his pack. The sun was going down which meant nighttime was almost here. Jim decided that it was time to wake Claire up. Before he could, Claire began to toss and turn again. She was having another nightmare. Jim grew concerned. He remembered what Blinky had said to him.

 _She may be able to see events that haven't even occurred yet in our world. Her dreams could be valuable information to what may lie ahead of us._

He knew that he had to wake her up. He placed his hands on her shoulders and started to gently shake her. She jolted upright, awake. He stiffened. She wasn't crying this time. She looked more confused than anything. Jim guessed that the nightmare wasn't as impactful as last time.

"Claire?" Jim said to her. She rubbed her eyes and turned her head towards him.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Claire responded. "It wasn't scary. It just…" She lifted her head. "Didn't make any sense."

"Did you see that guy again?" Jim asked curiously. Since Blinky said her nightmares and dreams could be important, he wanted to know as much information as possible.

"No, I didn't see him. I saw silhouettes of trolls." Claire explained. "They were all around me...dozens of them. Then they started to disappear; one by one. Once they all vanished, I saw you. You were...all alone. There was nothing around you." Jim pondered. He knew this was no ordinary dream.

"Claire? I was talking with Blinky and we think your dreams hold more truth to them than you might think." Jim told her. Her eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he told me that because your mind was tied with Morgana's, you now know almost everything she does...including events of the future. We think that your dreams might be visions." Jim told her.

"I knew it!" Claire said, throwing her fists in the air. Jim was stunned. He didn't expect that response at all. "Wait, are we sure?"

"Not completely. We just agreed that we should keep a close eye on you and your nightmares just incase they tell us things we should know." Jim looked down. "I really hope we find Blinky and the others. Who knows where they are. Plus, if there's anything in your dreams that they should know, they won't be around to hear it." Jim said. Claire looked down.

'We'll find them." She lifted her head. "They're headed in the same direction we are right? So we just meet them at the convenience store where we planned on meeting before. Easy as pie." Claire told him.

"Sounds like a plan...speaking of heading somewhere, it's getting dark. Should we get on our way?" Jim asked her. She nodded. They got up and packed their bags. Claire got out her phone and turned on the GPS.

"We should get there within 6 hours." Claire said while pointing to her phone.

"6 hours!? This is when I really wish I had the ability to wear sneakers again." Jim proclaimed.

"It's not as long as the other days we've had to walk. It'll go by fast." She saw the convenience store and took a look at the information on it. "Oh! And it looks like the convenience store is open 24 hours. That's good news. So I can get some canned food. Food for me. Cans for you." Claire chuckled. Jim stuck his tongue out at her before they both started laughing.

* * *

"We need to get out of here! Now!" Nomura shouted pointed forward. Everyone followed. Blinky ran as he analyzed the map. His eyes drew to a part of it that had an arrow. Above it read, "You are here." Blinky lifted his head. He began to look around. He discovered what the map was.

"This! The map! It's a map of the Paiute tombs! This will help us escape!" Blinky yelled. Nomura grabbed the map out of his hands as she ran. She took a look at the map and then back in front of her. Her face filled with determination.

"This way if you want to live!" Nomura said.

"GET TO ZE CHOPPA!" Blinky replied. Nomura looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Blinky stared back with bugged eyes. "I...I heard it in a human film once. A little too much blood for my taste." Nomura rolled her eyes and turned her head back front.

In the dark, the undead limped and staggered behind the fleeing trolls. The scent of the old, decomposing moss that hung on their bodies filled the air.

With a cruel smile, Morgana whispered to them lovingly, "Go on my lovelies." Merlin's eyes flickered yellow. "Show them a good time."

The corpses' eyes opened, glowing a sickly pale yellow. Throwing their first in the air, the dead trolls roared a ghastly cry and began to charge. Blinky heard the roaring and looked behind him, seeing them run in their direction. He gasped and turned back around.

"They're coming!" Blinky shouted.

"Can't we just kill them!" Nomura exclaimed. "I am armed and ready!"

"There is no point! They are already dead! If you try to kill them, it will do absolutely nothing!" Blinky explained loudly.

"Well isn't that stupendous! More bad news!" Nomura responded. They were coming up to a fork in the hallway. Nomura didn't know which way to go.

"Which way, Dinkous!" Nomura shouted. Blinky, not knowing as to whom she was referring to, ignored her. "Blinkous!" She snapped.

"Ah! Yes, yes, let me see here it's….ah-" Blinky was beginning to tell her.

"BLINKOUS!" Nomura screamed.

"Ahhhh left! It's left! Go left!" Blinky exclaimed. They came to the fork and went through the left hallway. As they ran down it, they approached another fork, this time, with three hallways.

"Are you kidding me!" Nomura angrily said.

"Go right! I believe it's right!" Merlin said. Blinky facepalmed.

"No, no, no, that would lead us to a fiery pit of death! Go straight!" Blinky corrected him. "Are you listening Merlin! We need to follow the map!" Merlin's face shadowed with rage.

"No, Blinkous! I think you're not listening! I said your name 3 times before!" Nomura interrupted the banter.

"I _am_ listening! Can we not do this right now? We have company!" Blinky shouted as he pointed behind him. The undead were getting closer. Blinky watched as his companions ran faster. Many of them were losing breath. They could all hear were the hisses and roars of the undead behind them. Blinky kept observing the map, trying to see how much farther they were till the exit. His eyes widened.

"We are almost to the exit! We need to keep going! Next fork, turn right!" Blinky yelled to everyone. "See Nomura! I am listening!"

"Oh shut it!" Nomura responded in frustration. They were able to see the last fork in the halls. They took the right hallway and came to a set of stairs. They began to run up them until they were confronted by a manhole cover. Nomura tried opening it, but couldn't. There were heavy stones on top of it, preventing it from opening. The undead were getting closer. Panicking, the trolls didn't know what to do.

"We're trapped!" Blinky shouted.

Nomura began to hit the manhole cover over and over again with her swords. Blinky waited anxiously as did the rest of the trolls. Desperate, they all shut their eyes believing that this was the end for them. Merlin rolled his eyes. Morgana knew she could be killed if she was seen by the undead. Annoyed, she decided to use her magic to turn invisible. Subtly, so she was not seen, she summoned the magic within her fingertips, expecting to feel the static energy within them, but nothing happened. She tried again, but still, nothing happened. Alarmed, she realized she couldn't control Merlin and his magic as well as she thought she could. Merlin bit his lip, shut his eyes, and, frustrated, released the undead from his control. The undead froze, returning to the cold, empty, soulless statues that they once were.

"Praise Deya's name! It's over!" Blinky exclaimed as he lifted his hands in the air. The trolls opened their eyes once the roaring and groaning ceased. Everyone cheered. Nomura brought her attention back to the manhole cover.

"Well that's all well and done but how are we supposed to get out of here? The door is being held down by rocks on the outside! I can see them through the holes!" She said as she peeked through the holes of the manhole cover. Merlin, trying his best not to show any anger, forcefully shoved everyone aside.

"Move please." He said. He rolled his hands, creating a green fireball, and blasted the manhole cover to dust. Everyone gawked at the sight of it. Blinky blinked his eyes in astonishment.

"Well, this peaceful tomb is not a peaceful place any longer." Blinky said. Relieved, they all staggered into the moonlight once again. Merlin shifted his gaze at Blinky's hand which holding a book from the tomb. Taking a close look at the title, Merlin became worried. Discretely, he waved his hand, summoned his magic again and made the book disappear. Blinky, with his back turned, failed to notice that he no longer had anything in his hands. He lifted his now empty hand and gasped.

"The book! Where did it go?" Blinky asked himself.

* * *

Jim and Claire were walking hand in hand out in the moonlight. They had about 3 hours of the walk left to go. Claire suddenly tripped on something on the ground. Jim bent down to look at what it was. It was an old dusty book.

"Hey, where did this come from?" Jim asked.

"I don't know. Kind of strange to find it out here in the middle of nowhere." Claire replied. "What's the title?" They turned the book to the front and looked at the cover. Taking a look at the title, Jim and Claire glanced at it with wide eyes.

 _Librum autem duritiam incantatorum tuorum vehementem_

"Yeah, I have no idea what that means." Jim said.

 **CHAPTER 5 COMING SOON**


	5. Happiness and Love

**PART 3 SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! WATCH ALL OF PART 3 BEFORE READING**!

* * *

 **Chapter 5- Happiness and Love**

Jim and Claire arrived at Jean, Nevada. A tumbleweed went by. The town had, maybe, one or two buildings. However, it was still pretty deserted. The grass on the ground was dry and dead. The mountains stood tall around them. The walk, much like the town, was boring and dry. They still had the book with them, deciding that they would examine it after Claire got some supplies. They finally made it to the convenience store.

The convenience store was your everyday typical gas station store. It was white with a red trim at the top. Because it was nearing midnight, there weren't that many cars parked there. One of the streetlights near the building began to flicker. A sign was lit up on the top of the building, saying "Terrible's Convenience Store". Just the name of the store made Jim and Claire feel uneasy.

"So welcoming." Jim said.

"Oh sheesh kabob! I hope I packed cash! I can't believe I didn't think of that." Claire said as she rummaged through her pack.

"Well, if you can't get any food, we could always share my silverware." Jim laughed. Claire was not amused. Jim stiffened. "Right...not the time for jokes. You're hangry." Claire kept looking inside her pack until she found a small paper bag. She opened it to find $650.

"Papi!" She exclaimed.

"Is that as much money as I think I'm seeing?" Jim asked.

"Yup...that's Papi alright." Claire responded. She lifted her head and glanced at Jim. His eyes were big and sparkling with glee.

"Can I have a few bills? Like, maybe 200 or-" Jim asked. She playfully elbowed him in the gut. Jim laughed.

"Eat your spoons." Claire said smiling as they walked to the back of the store so people wouldn't notice Jim. "Okay, I'll go in. You stay here and watch my bag." Jim nodded.

Claire walked into the store. It wasn't much. It was a little run down. Claire was hungry and didn't care where the food was from. A cashier was at the register, smoking a cigar. His eyes shifted to Claire walking in.

"Welcome to Terrible's, where everything really isn't terrible...at all…whatever." He said with no motivation, not even bothering to look up.

"Uhh...thanks…" She said as she went towards the beverage section.

Jim sat outside waiting for Claire to bring him something to eat. He ate a lot already but didn't realize how hungry trolls can get. He started to become bored sitting there. He saw her phone sitting out of the pack a bit. He decided to pick it up. He unlocked the phone with a swipe and saw the background was a picture of her and Enrique. Jim smiled. Even though Gunmar got out, he still doesn't regret going into the Darklands to save him. He was really glad he did it.

He looked through her phone icons until he saw one titled _Gallery_. He tapped it and began to look through the photos she's taken. He sighed at the first picture that came up. It was him and Toby riding their bikes. Neither he or Toby we're paying attention to Claire taking the picture. She took it without them noticing. He kept scrolling. He found a picture from Trollmarket, where he, Toby, and Claire all had their weapons in hand. He chuckled a little at that one. Then, a picture of Claire, him, and his mom appeared. He and his mom didn't even notice her take the picture. He stared at it for a while. A tear welled in his eye. He realized he's forgotten to do something.

"Oh no." He said as he exited out of the gallery on Claire's phone and pulled up the dial pad. "Mom's gonna kill me!" He exclaimed as he dialed his mom. Jim put the phone up to his ear. The dial tone started. Suddenly, it stopped.

"Dr. Lake. Who's speaking, please?" Barbara answered the phone. Jim was hesitant to talk.

"Uhh...hey Mom." Jim stuttered. Barbara gasped.

"Jim! Sweetie! How are things! How is Claire doing, where are yo-" She stopped speaking. "You never called me the last few days." Jim's eyes went wide.

"I know. I'm...I'm so sorry mom. Things have been really busy lately." Jim explained. "So, how are things at home?"

"Well-" Barbara was interrupted. Jim heard a chuckle in the phone call.

"Is someone with you?" Jim asked her.

"Yes, honey. Walter's here with me. We're having a little get together." She replied.

"Why hello Young Atlas. Nice to hear from you again." Strickler said on the phone.

"Oh, hi Mr. Strickler." Jim said, irritated.

Barbara spoke again, talking to Mr. Strickler. "Oh look at this one at a year old. This was about an hour before coming down and seeing him covered in his own-." Jim interrupted before she could say anything else.

"MOM, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?" Jim exclaimed.

"I'm so sorry Jim. We're looking at old photo albums, including-" Barbara was interrupted.

"No...no...are you looking at my baby photos!?"

"Oh, Jim you shouldn't be ashamed of these. You were adorable as a baby." Barbara said, optimistic. Jim sighed. He facepalmed. "Now, Jim, have you been okay? I haven't heard from you in days."

"Mom, I told you before. You don't have to worry about me." Jim said.

"But what I told _you_ is that it's my job. I'm your mother. Be honest with me. Has everything been okay?" Barbara asked Jim. He stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Yeah, things have been...good."

"Jim, as the great Marcus Tullius Cicero once stated, 'If we are not ashamed to think it, we should not be ashamed to say it.'" Strickler quoted. Jim ground his teeth in annoyance.

"He's right Jim, and you know it." Barbara added. Jim drooped his head and groaned. He didn't want to worry his mother. He attempted to tell a half-truth.

"We're...just hungry. We've stopped at a convenience store for food. Claire's in there right now." Jim said, feigning cheerfulness. Barbara was skeptical at first but decided to trust him.

"Well, okay honey. I'm glad everything's fine. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me, alright?" Barbara pleaded.

"You got it, Mom." Jim said before Barbara spoke again.

"I...I love you, kiddo." Barbara said while her voice cracked.

"Love you too, Mom." He said, tearing up a bit before hanging up.

Then he dropped his head and sighed once again. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He locked the phone and put it back in Claire's pack. A dark figure came around. It wasn't Claire, but the cashier from inside the convenience store. He saw Jim and stared at him for a second.

"Eh...whatever." He said before walking away. Jim was completely confused.

"Well, that happened." Jim said before seeing Claire walk towards him. She had two plastic bags in her hand.

"Okay, I got myself some baked beans. Good thing they have a microwave." Claire said before seeing Jim's hopeful face. "Yes Jim I saved the cans. I also got some metal cups in there too" She chuckled. He was so happy he began to clap his hands and jump up and down. She gave him the cans. He took one of them and bit right into it.

"Wow. How sharp are those teeth?"

"Enough to bite into a can apparently. So what else did you buy?" Jim asked.

"Nothing much. Just some crackers, some bottled water, some jerky, and some gummy candy." Claire said as she moved things around in the plastic bags. He saw him devour his metal treats.

"Don't eat it all! Don't you want a snack on the way to Las Vegas?" She said as she sat down next to him. She turned her head to Jim, noticing a saddened look on his face as he ate. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking about some stuff." Jim said as he looked up at the stars. It was a clear night which are perfect for stargazing.

"The stars are beautiful, aren't they?" Claire said with a smile. She began to eat her baked beans. Jim turned his head, looking at her.

"Yeah. They're uh...magnifico" Jim responded. Claire facepalmed and laughed.

"You know, your Spanish isn't half bad actually." Claire chuckled. Jim pumped his fist.

"Holla! Tobes was wrong!" He exclaimed. He then shifted his gaze to the book. "So what do you think this book is?" He said as he reached for it. Claire swallowed her food.

"I don't know. The title doesn't really help us that much." Claire answered as they observed the cover.

"Seriously. I can't read it or understand it."

"The cover looks pretty old. It kind of feels like real leather too." Jim said. Claire proceeded to turn the cover to reveal the pages. The parchment was withered and torn around the edges. They studied what was written down on them. The writing was scattered all over. It was far from uniform.

"Huh, must be some kind of journal." Jim said. They turned more of the pages until they came to a sketch of a troll. The troll's hands and legs were tied to a stone table. They couldn't translate what was written on the pages because it was in a different language. "What do you think it says?"

"I don't know, but it _is_ intriguing." Claire responded.

"Agreed. It's a good thing we kept this. Once we meet up with Blinky and the others again, we'll see if they know what all these words mean." Jim said to Claire. She nodded in agreement.

"So...what were you doing on my phone?" Claire asked. Jim froze. "Oh come on Jim. I remember where I put my phone in my pack. I put it in the side pocket but when I came back, it was in the zipper pouch." Claire said as she held her phone in front of him.

"Uh...I…" Jim tried to speak but the guilt was killing him.

"Jim, it's okay if you did. I have nothing to hide. I was just curious." Claire said as she placed her hand on one of his shoulders.

"Oh, I uh...called my mom." Jim told her.

"Really? How is she?" Claire asked him.

"She's doing okay." Jim said with a smile.

"That's good to hear." Claire responded.

"Oh, and I might have looked through your photos. You never told me you had photos like that on your phone." Jim said to her.

"Really? Oh, I thought you knew. Well, yeah. I was actually going to print them all out from my computer and make a collage out of them once I was back in Arcadia." Claire told Jim. Jim looked down.

"So...you think we'll see them all again?" Jim asked. Claire shifted her gaze at him. "You know, our friends and family, Toby…" He turned to look at her, "...my mom…" Claire slipped him a hopeful glance. She shifted her body towards his.

"You know, there is something my abuelita always told me whenever I felt like losing hope."

"What's that?" Jim asked.

"Si la esperanza estuviera muerta, la felicidad y el amor no serían más que un recuerdo lejano." Claire said. Jim had a blank stare.

"I didn't get any of that." Jim told her. Claire caressed his face with her hands.

"If hope was dead, happiness…" Claire said. She kissed his face. "...and love would be nothing but a distant memory." Jim was speechless. She was right. He lifted his head up and gazed at her. Jim pulled her in for a hug.

"You are truly amazing Claire." Jim said with a smile as he hugged her tightly.

* * *

"So I believe we are here. We need to get...here." Blinky said pointing to Las Vegas on the map. The map was placed on the ground as the trolls sat around it, observed it, trying to find their way. They were having great difficulty. The map wasn't much help because it was a map of the entire United States, and lacked the specifics they needed.

"We're not getting anywhere with this." Nomura said as she slammed her fist down on the map. "I mean, come on, we're trollkind. We don't need a map to find our way around."

"Well then, Nomura, please. Enlighten us. What do you suggest we do?" Blinky snapped, crossing his arms.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help! I don't understand what you are all so worked up about!" Nomura said as she turned her back and walked away. She went over to a large rock and sat on it. Blinky grew concerned. He began to wonder if he was being too hard on her. He walked over to her.

"Nomura? May I ask what is bothering you? I am listening." Blinky asked her. She turned away from him dramatically.

"It's none of your concern, Dinkous." Nomura replied as she crossed her arms.

"Look, I've noticed that you haven't been acting like your normal, aggressive, very….very violent.. self. If there is anything wrong, we may be able to help you get through whatever it is." He put his hand on her shoulder. "As I told Master Jim one day, for folly or for fraught…" Nomura turned to face Blinky, "We are a team." Nomura sighed.

"Death has been a constant occurrence in my life. I thought I would be used to it by now." She explained as she drooped her head. "But Draal? We were breaking a long-waged war between the both of us. After freeing the Trollhunter from the Darklands, I felt as if we were starting to get reacquainted. But now…" She put her hands in fists. "He's dead too. I'm tired of it."

"Draal's death was not in vain. He swore an oath to protect the trollhunter…no matter the cost. He said it was his honor. He died fulfilling his promise."

"That's...good to know. Thank you. I just need time to myself." Nomura looked up at Blinky.

"As you wish." Blinky said as he walked away. As Blinky walked, he looked back behind his shoulder. He turned his head back around and walked to Merlin. Merlin was standing, looking at the landscape before him. Blinky sighed. "She's going to be okay." Merlin nodded his head.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did Draal die exactly?" Merlin asks Blinky. Blinky face filled with grief.

"He was brutally slain by Angor Rot...in the innermost sanctum."

"The innermost sanctum, you say? Hmm." Merlin said as he stroked his beard. Blinky turned his gaze to Merlin with a raised eyebrow.

"I must ask, are you feeling alright? You have been incredibly quiet." Blinky asked him.

"Don't worry, my good fellow. I am perfectly fine." Merlin said. Blinky nodded, then walked away. The corner of Merlin's mouth lifted.

* * *

Jim and Claire finished eating their food. They decided to spend the night at the convenience store in order to give Blinky and the others more time to catch up with them. Once morning struck, they ran into an abandoned shed near the convenience store to combat the sunlight. Claire slept while Jim kept a lookout for any intruders. They waited for Blinky and the others once night struck. 2 hours have passed, but they never came. They began to worry.

"It's already 7 PM." Claire told Jim.

"Yeah. Where could they be?" Jim wondered. He began to worry. "Maybe we could meet them in Las Vegas?"

"We could do that. The tunnels they had entered could have let them out somewhere far away from where we are. We all know Las Vegas is our destination. Where we are now is just a rest stop."

"Agreed…" Jim said. "How long will it take to get to there from here?"

"Let me check." Claire said. She pulled out her phone and turned on the GPS. "Ooo...about 10 hours. We need to get there fast or else we won't make it by sunrise. Maybe there's something around here that could help us get there faster. There's bike parts in here so there could be a bike or two nearby." They both looked around. Jim searched the outside while Claire searched inside. Jim, after a while, struck gold.

"Oh, Claire?" Jim called to her. She came outside to Jim who was holding two old, but still useable bicycles. "Would you care to join me for a romantic bike ride through the middle of nowhere, m'lady?" Jim asked her with a bow.

"It would be my pleasure, sir." She chuckled as she gracefully curtsied. They each took a bike and headed on the trail again. The bike ride was so much more enjoyable than walking. They were very thankful they had some transportation this time. Jim began to do his usual bike tricks, like pedaling with no hands and balancing on one wheel.

"See, I might be part troll now, but I haven't lost my biking skills." Jim said proudly. Claire shook her head in amusement.

"Hey, I'll race you!" Claire said to him. He grinned at her.

"You're on!" He replied. Their bikes sped up. Jim was very glad he could still ride a bike. It's one thing he did as a human that he could still do now. They biked for about 2 hours. Suddenly, Claire stopped. Jim noticed and stopped too. They both looked forward, seeing a bright and colorful city ahead of them. Their eyes squinted because of how bright it was.

"We made it." Jim said as he pointed. "Las Vegas."

 **CHAPTER 6 COMING SOON**

 **P.S.** Chapters are going to start coming out a little slower now. Thought I should let you all know! Thanks for reading and supporting me so far! Love you all! :D


	6. Roleplaying 101

**PART 3 SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! WATCH ALL OF PART 3 BEFORE READING**!

* * *

 **Chapter 6- Roleplaying 101**

Jim and Claire stood near a road, leading to the city. They could hear music and beeping cars coming from it. The lights were sporadically changing colors and the sky was lit up. This was their first time ever seeing Las Vegas in person. They didn't realize how big the city was or how crowded it would be at 9 PM.

"And they say New York is the city that never sleeps." Jim said.

"You're telling me. How are we going to get through that?" Claire asked. They stared at the crowds. Suddenly, the sound of a car engine roared, getting increasingly louder. Jim and Claire turned around, startled, seeing a vintage red convertible driving up the road.

"We need to hide and come up with a plan!" Claire said to Jim.

"Where? There's nowhere to hide!" Jim panicked.

The car began to slow down, stopping near where they stood. Jim and Claire looked around for a hiding place. They were about to be spotted. The car halted. Jim and Claire stiffened. In the car sat a woman and two men. The men were dressed as knights while the woman was dressed as a maiden back in medieval times. They gawked at Jim, in his troll form and Claire, wearing her gleaming purple armor. Finally, the driver spoke.

"Bruh...that is awesome!" He said. Jim and Claire were wide-eyed. They didn't expect that. They didn't know how to respond.

"Uh...what...is...exactly?" Jim asked, hesitant.

"Dude, your costume? Excellent craftsmanship and sense of realism!" The man in the back seat replied. Jim and Claire turned and gave each other a "what just happened" look. They turned back. "And yours, my fair lady is exquisite." He said. She nervously giggled. He took her hand and went to kiss it. Jim got angry and hit his hand.

"Hands off. She's mine." Jim told him. The man in the back let go and put his hands up in surrender, stunned.

"Are you like, going to the festival?" The woman asked. Jim and Claire didn't have a clue of what they were talking about.

"Festival? What...festival?" Jim asked them.

"The Maces and Talons festival? I mean, duh! You guys look like enthusiasts!" The man sitting in the back seat replied before handing Jim a pamphlet. Jim looked down at it, reading it.

 _Join the Visimorph hoard._

 _Unleash the powers of the crescent of the blood scepter._

 _Bask in the tribute reaped upon your warrior's clan._

 _Embrace the powers bestowed upon thee by the Elders of Grimoris._

 _Ride your dragon into the mist of the illustrious chasms of doom._

 _Become one with the all-knowing might of Vetruvius._

 _Become the greatest leader of all worlds._

 _Join the fight and gain control of the universe._

 _Come to the Maces and Talons Festival._

 _And drink the blood of your enemies._

 _Show yourself if you dare._

Jim stared at the flyer, trying to process everything he just read.

"Oh! Uh.." Claire said, looking at Jim. "Y...yeah! That's exactly where we're going!" Claire nervously chuckled.

"Wait we are?" Jim asked before getting elbowed on his side. "Ow...uh...yeah! That's where we're going!" Jim responded. "Yeah, we were just joking around before."

"Yeah, we were just on our way. Getting these costumes ready takes forever. Wanted to make sure everything was perfect." Claire lied.

"Right on, bruh! Well, can't be late! Later dudes!" The driver said as he started the car. The car drove off. Claire and Jim stood there, dumbfounded.

"Do you know anything about Maces and Talons because I don't." Jim asked Claire. Claire turned her head, shocked. She was expecting him to know.

"No, I thought you would know!" Claire responded.

"Hey, Gun Robot is my thing, not Maces and Talons. I thought you would know since you like to read Shakespeare and things like that." Jim explained.

"What does Shakespeare have to do with Maces and Talons?" Claire asked, confused.

"Um….well...there were dungeons in those plays….I think…."Jim replied, unsure of himself. Claire sighed. They pondered what they could do. Jim suddenly had an idea.

"Claire, I need your phone." Jim said as he held his hand out.

"Wait why?" Claire asked him.

"I think I know someone who could help us." Jim responded. She put the phone in his hands before Jim began to dial a number. After the dial tone rang, a voice was heard.

"Hey! What's up, Claire?" Toby answered the phone. Little did he know it was Jim who called.

"Hey, Tobes!" Jim exclaimed. He heard the phone drop. After a few seconds, he picked up the phone again.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh….Claire what happened to your voice?!" Toby exclaimed.

"No! It's me! Jim!...how could you not know…" The phone dropped again. His voice became distant.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Toby picked up the phone and put it to his ear. " Jimbo! My best bud! How are you? Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay because I haven't heard from you in days!"

"Yeah Tobes! I'm...well...crispy! Listen, I need your help."

* * *

The trolls were still stuck in the same place they had been. There was nothing around but dust, mountains, and sky. The trolls were sitting around, taking in the moonlight while they still had it. They were beginning to become bored from not having moved for hours. They had no idea where they were or where they were supposed to go. Nomura was beginning to get frustrated.

"Can we please find our way to Las Vegas or else, I'm going to need to hurt something…" She said, taking out her swords. "Or someone…"

"Nomura, please. We are trying our very hardest to conjugate a plan. We need more than just the map." Blinky explained. He scratched his temple, thinking as hard as he could. He suddenly remembered something. "Great Gronka-Morka how could I forget?"

"What?" Nomura asked. Blinky began to go through his shoulder pack. Blinky pulled out a compass.

"This!" Blinky held the compass high in the air. "It's a device that incorporates the science of magnetism to direct us north, south, east, or west!"

"No really, Dinkous. We all know what a compass is." Nomura said, being her usual cranky self.

"Agh, stop calling me that. What does Dinkous even mean anyway?"

"It means your mom." Nomura replied.

"I don't understand, but how dare you invoke my mother into this!" Blinky said, pointing to the sky. Merlin was sitting further away, annoyed at the bickering.

"Would you please stop all this bickering."

"Alright. Great gorgous you sound like Morgana." Blinky said.

"WHO TOLD?!" Merlin exclaimed. Everyone blankly stared. "I mean...Morgana? That witch? Pft. What nonsense…" Everyone continued to stare blankly at him until bringing their focus back to their own problems.

"Anyway, from what I can conclude from the map, Las Vegas is east. If we keep traveling in said direction, we may be able to figure out where we are. That way, our task will be much easier for us." Blinky explained. Nomura nodded as did Merlin.

"Well, why didn't you think of this 5 HOURS AGO!?" Nomura exclaimed.

"Shut your changeling mouth." Blinky responded.

* * *

"So you are going to go into Las Vegas pretending to be a Maces and Talons enthusiast and you need _my_ expertise in regards to all of the details?" Toby asked, while on speaker phone so Claire could listen in.

"Preeeeetttyyy much. Can you help?" Jim replied.

"Jimbo, you are talking to Ruxican, Defender of the Seven Worlds, wielder of the war hammer, protector of the eleven plains, BRINGER OF DEATH AND NEVER ENDING PAIN!" Jim and Claire blankly stared at the phone, silent. "Jim? You there?"

"Yeah, I'm just trying to process what I just heard." Jim replied.

"Same. What the heck did you just say?" Claire added.

"It's my warrior name. I try to make it sound intimidating." Toby responded. Jim and Claire looked at each other and shook their heads in amusement.

"Anyway, what can you tell us about this whole roleplaying game?" Claire asked him.

"Well, first, we need to give you both a warrior name. Every Maces and Talons player is given one. Then I will tell you all of the ins and outs of the whole game."

"Okay. Go for it, Tobes...can you stop with the epic voice though?" Jim said to Toby.

"Nope. Hmmmm...okay…." Toby said. Jim and Claire heard a book open and a ton of papers clash together on the phone as well as books dropping on the floor. "Alright, okay….got it!"

"Got what?" Jim asked.

"Your warrior name!" Toby cleared his throat. "You shall be…...MEREXAES!"

"Who?" They both asked him, confused.

"Merexaes! The Malevolent, the famed, the fighter for the shadowed moors, true born heir to the Obsidian throne, master of the blood moon blade...BRINGER OF DEATH AND DEMISE!"

"I won't be able to remember all of that...even though that does sound pretty cool." Jim said as he shifted his gaze towards Claire. "Makes me even more good looking don't you think?"

"I plead the fifth." Claire said with her arms crossed. "Okay, Toby-Pie, what about me?"

"You shall be…" Toby said. "Treladoria, the-" Toby was interrupted by Claire's chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Toby asked, concerned.

"Nothing j-just...what else have you got?" Claire responded, trying to hide the fact that the name she was given sounded completely ridiculous.

"Treladoria! Master of the powers of the fifth dimension! Wielder of darkness! Withholder of the crown of the lands of Derbyshire! BRINGER OF PAIIINNN AND OVERALL DOOM!"

"Did you just bring a town of Scotland into this?" Claire asked

"What? It works." Toby explained. "Okay, now we talk about your skills and things. You should probably both be at a level 11 so no one beats you up because you are amateurs. Merexaes should have the bite of the wolf, because hey, you got sharp teeth and also, it just sounds so cool. Treladoria could have the powers of the underworld because bringing people back from the dead...darkness...doy. Now, I think that-"

"Toby?" Claire interrupted.

"Yeah?" Toby responded.

"...I don't get any of this." Claire said, holding her head from a stress headache.

"We just need to get through the crowd so we can find the way to the caverns of the Paiute trolls." Jim added.

"Wait, the what?" Toby asked.

"Long story, no time to explain. There has to be a better way to learn all of this." Jim said. Claire stroked her chin in thought. An idea came to mind.

"Maybe we don't have to learn it at all." Claire said as she picked up her pack. She rustled inside of it and pulled out two very small bluetooth earpieces. Jim stared at them, dumbfounded.

"Whatcha find, Claire?" Toby asked.

"Two bluetooth earpieces. You can listen in on our conversations and if ever a conversation comes up about Maces and Talons, you can fill us in on what we say." Claire said as she held up the earpieces.

"Wow, those are almost like spy-worthy earpieces!"Jim said.

"Your dad always comes prepared." Toby added.

"How'd you know it was my dad?" Claire asked.

"Claire….come on…it's Papi." Jim reminded her.

"Okay, you're right." Claire said. She gave Jim one of the earpieces. They both put them in their ears.

"Okay Tobes, can you hear me?" Jim asked.

"YEAH, I CAN HEAR YOU!" Toby said with the earpieces' volume too loud. They both yelped.

"Ow!"

"WAIT IS IT TOO LOUD?" Toby said.

"Yes!" Claire took the earpiece out of her ears and found the volume. She turned it down. She proceeded to take out Jim's earpiece and fixed the volume on his. They both put them back in their ears.

"Okay, that should be better." Claire said to Toby.

"...so I can talk now?"

"Yes...yes Tobes. We're about to head into the city. Are you ready?"

"Tonight we shall feast on the remains of our enemies. Tonight...we shall watch them perish before the wrath of our fury! TONIGHT WE SHALL DRINK THE BLOOD OF-"

"WHAT?!" Jim exclaimed.

"Just...getting into character...Ruxican….wielder of the...oh nevermind." Toby told Jim. Jim's eyes shifted to Claire's.

"Is it too late to just keep walking?" Jim said. Claire elbowed him in the gut again.

 **CHAPTER 7 COMING SOON**


	7. Geekapalooza

**PART 3 SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! WATCH ALL OF PART 3 BEFORE READING!**

 **Hey guys! Sorry that I took so long to upload this chapter. College happened and I had no time for literally much of anything. So if chapters come out a little slow, it's because life is busy XD I keep updates on my profile so if you want to know what's going on with this story, you can check that out there. Thank you guys for being supportive of this! Love all of you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7- Geekapalooza**

"Woah. That's a lot of Maces and Talons players." Jim said as he and Claire walked into the city. The city shined like a thousand suns outside with all of its decorative blinking lights. It almost made Jim feel like he was back in the sunlight, which is something he's been begging to feel on his skin once again. The streets and sidewalks were crowded with comic-con enthusiasts. Many were in costumes, so it wasn't hard for Jim to blend in. Everyone began to gaze at him in awe and amazement.

"Yo...that costume is lit." A person said to them walking by, his fingers pointing to him. Jim's eyes went wide.

"Uh, thanks." Jim replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. _If only they knew this wasn't a costume to begin with._ Jim thought. Claire turned her gaze to him.

"Wow, you're becoming a Maces and Talons celebrity. Everyone won't stop staring at you." Claire said as she and Jim observed everyone's behavior. Hundreds of eyes stared at them, wondering how in the world Jim's "troll costume" looked so realistic.

"I know. I'm so thankful that everyone thinks that this is a costume. Just imagine the chaos if everyone knew that I was actually a tro-" Jim said before Claire shushed him, covering his mouth with her palm.

"Careful. Don't wanna blow your cover." Claire reminded him. Arcadia knows that trolls exist, but for the whole entire world to know would be catastrophic. It would cause quite a panic.

"Yeah Jimbo, you gotta lay low. Now, what is it you're looking for?" Toby asked. At Toby's house, the door opened. AAARRRGGHH! and Dictatious walked in. They heard the conversation on the phone.

"Well, we're looking for the paiute troll cave." Claire replied.

"Oh, they're in Las Vegas, are they?" Dictatious asked, curious, walking towards a bookshelf in Toby's room.

"Yeah, they are. Now would you get out of here?" Toby asked, annoyed at Dictatious' presence. AAARRRGGHH! sighed and looked down, thinking Toby was telling him to leave. Toby flailed his arms around. "Oh, not you wingman! You're cool!" AAARRRGGHH!'s face brightened. Jim and Claire noticed who was talking in the background.

"Hey, is that AAARRRGGHH! and Dictatious? We could use their help." Jim said as they both smiled continuing to walk through the crowds. Aaarrrggghhh and Dictatious both turned their heads, hearing the familiar voice on the phone.

"Hi." AAARRRGGHH! replied, waving.

"Ah, Trollhunter. Nice to hear your voice again." Dictatious added.

"Hi AAARRRGGHH!. Nice to hear from you too, Dictatious...I guess...listen, we need to find the Paiute troll caves. Know anything about them?" Jim asked. Dictatious tapped his chin while AAARRRGGHH! began to play Go Go Sushi.

"Hehehe...sushi." AAARRRGGHH! said, enjoying his video game.

"Hmmm...from what I can recall, the Paiute Trolls are an extremely private tribe. Very few have been able to locate their hideout. Legend tells that only those who are destined to confront them will be able to find the cave."

"It's still worth a shot to find them even if we aren't 'destined' to. Where should we start looking?" Jim said.

"I'm not sure. All knowledge of Paiute Troll history is recorded in journals by trolls that lived before. I once possessed such a book but because my brother burnt all of my books to a crisp in addition to not reading them, I have no knowledge of them or the cave." Dictatious explained. Claire gasped.

"Wait, did you say journal?" Claire asked as she dipped her hand in her pack. She took out the book that she and Jim found in the desert. "We found a book on our way here. We thought it could be a journal because of all the writing. We can't read it though." She took her phone from her pocket, snapped a picture of the cover with it, and sent it to Toby's phone. His phone beeped. Picking it up, he saw a notification on it.

"Got your text!" Toby opened the message and looked that the title on the cover. "Librum….uhhh autem durit-" Toby gave up on reading the title and decided to take out his laptop and type it in Gesi

"Gesi?" AAARRRGGHH! asked, looking over his shoulder.

"It's a search engine. Global Engine Search Investigator." Toby said to him. AAARRRGGHH! raised an eyebrow. "I learned that from Eli." Once Toby pressed enter, Gesi began to speak.

"Librum autem duritiam incantatorum tuorum vehementem" Gesi said.

"Hmmm…Librum autem duriti...no, I can't. Brain hurts too much" Toby said, giving up quickly.

"You say you found this book in the desert?" Dictatious asked.

"Yeah, just laying there on the ground." Jim replied. "And if you know what that title means, please tell us because Claire and I have been wondering for days."

"Curious…." Dictatious said as he fondled a few books from Toby's bookshelf. "This is not just a journal. It is a book of spells." Dictatious explained.

"Really? How did you know that?" Claire asked.

"Because I am not an idi-..." Dictatious hacked up a lung, realizing he was about to say something rude. "I mean...that's what it says. Librum autem duritiam incantatorum tuorum vehementem. Book. of. spells." Jim did a double take.

"Wait, that's the title?!" Jim asked, puzzled.

"Yes." Dictatious replied.

"Really...that long title…you're saying that's it..." Toby asked.

"Yes. I don't quite understand your confusion." Dictatious repeated.

"I'm not confused. I just never knew something that long could mean something so short and simple." Claire responded.

"But...you read Shakespeare…" Jim said before Claire gave him the stink eye.

"Ah, that is where you are wrong. Only the most brilliant minds can conjugate such spells. It may be somewhat easy to follow them, yes. But to create one of these spells with your own hands is not, as you humans say, 'slice of pie'...oooh...I want pie." Dictatious explained.

"Okay, how about we take a look at the book and at least try to translate what is inside it and then we can-" Jim said before running into a small, 4-foot boy.

"Would you mind watching where you are stepping, peasant!" The little boy said to Jim. Jim gave him a puzzled look. The boy was dressed in costume from head to toe. He wore a helmet that resembled that of a dragon's head and wore robes for a king cosplay. A mustache was attached to his face. On his neck were necklaces bearing faux jewels. Jim shifted his eyes to Claire.

"Um...uh...yes! Um...sharecropper!" Jim said with a nervous smile. Claire gave Jim a baffled look.

"Really...sharecropper?" Claire whispered to him as Jim faced the small, tiny, angry child.

"I saw it in our history class textbook. I thought it sounded intimidating." Jim whispered to her.

"A sharecropper is a type of farmer, Jim. How is that intimidating?" Claire asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine then. Uh...Troubadour!" Jim declared with a finger pointing in the air. Claire facepalmed.

"Jim! That's a person who writes love songs!" Claire told him as she dragged her face down in embarrassment. Jim nervously chuckled.

"Are ye done talking, commoner?" The little boy asked them. Jim's eyes went wide. He quickly turned his head to him.

"Oh! Sorry, I-" Jim snapped his fingers. "...commoner! Why didn't I think of that!" Jim said as he facepalmed. Claire jolted before rolling her eyes in amusement.

"SILENCE!" The little boy yelled. Everyone froze, silent. "I am known as the great…" He looked down and snapped his fingers. "BOX!" A man in a suit and sunglasses came behind him, bringing a small wooden box and laying it at his feet. The boy stepped onto it, making himself seem taller...but not by much at all. "As I was saying, I am the great Master Cressian. My card." He said as he reached underneath his cape, taking out a card and handing it to Jim. _He wasn't kidding…_ Jim thought to himself.

 _Master Cressian of the Saanhor Isles_

 _Controller of the fires of Ladorithin_

 _Ruler over the planet Pluto_

 _Bringer of Demise_

 _Dragon Tamer_

 _Level 20_

"Master Cre….ssian of the...Saan...hor Isl-?" Jim read before being interrupted.

"No! No, the H is silent!" He told Jim and Claire. Jim continued to read the card.

"Ruler over...wait, hold on. Pluto isn't a planet anym-" The child screamed again.

"QUIET!" He yelled as he stomped his little foot to the ground. Jim raised his hands in the air.

"I'm just telling you straight facts." Jim told him. He began to read the card to himself. "Hey, look, I'm not going to remember all of this. Can I just call you Bill?" Jim asked him before being given an irritated look by the small child. "Aaaaand I'll take that as a no."

"I will allow you to call me by my real name." He told them.

"Which is…" Claire said, waiting to be told.

"If you must know…" He told them, rubbing his fake mustache, "It is Theodrick McPuffin. Now, I-" He began to say before hearing quiet chuckling from Jim and Claire. "May I ask what's so funny?"

"Oh um-" Claire coughed. "Nothing! Nothing at all." She said with a nervous smile. Suddenly, Toby spoke from the ear pieces, laughing so loud that everyone could hear.

"Hahaha! Theodrick McPuffin! That sounds like the most ridicu-" Toby began to say until Claire and Jim turned down their ear pieces to the lowest level, barely able to hear Toby speaking.

"And your name is?" Theodrick asked them. Jim and Claire turned up their earpieces again to hear Toby.

"Okay, repeat after me, Jimbo." Toby told Jim before he began telling Jim his Maces and Talons name.

"Merexaes...The Malevolent...uh...the famed, the fighter for the um….shadowed moors, true born heir to the...Obsidian throne! Master of the blood moon blade...bringer of dea-" Jim stopped for a second and put his hand over his mouth so he could whisper something to Toby. "No, Tobes. I am not saying that."

"And I am Treladoria…" Toby told her the rest of Claire's name but she decided not to say all of it, mainly because it was embarrassing. "Yeah, that's it."

"Treladoria, I can remember well. However, your name…" Theodrick said as he pointed to Jim, "I will never be able to remember all of that. If only you had a business card like myself. I'm just going to call you Jim." Jim gasped. _How in the world did he know my actual name!?_ Suddenly, a man dressed as a knight came by, overhearing Jim's Maces and Talons name. He pointed at Jim.

"Dude…did you say you were Merexaes, the malevolent?" Jim blinked.

"Um, yeeeaahhh." Jim responded hesitantly. The man's face brightened. He started getting excited, which made Jim both concerned and confused.

"Man, it is an honor to meet you! You are a legend, bro!" He told Jim. Jim was puzzled. _What in the world is he talking about?_ He suddenly came to a realization. Toby did something he shouldn't have. Jim put his palm over his mouth once again to whisper to him through the earpiece.

"Tobes? What did you do?" Jim asked him.

"I might have given you the name of one of the most popular and successful Maces and Talons players in the world? Quite….possibly?" Jim dropped his head in disappointment. Theodrick, being as pompous as ever, didn't like what he was hearing.

"So, you say you're a legend. Well then, how about proving it in a battle of wits." Theodrick said to him.

"I'm sorry?" Jim said, afraid of what Theodrick's answer would be to that question.

"You. Me. A duel. Whoever loses, loses their title _as well_ as their costume. If I lose, you win my jewels, cape, and dragon head. If you lose…" Jim gulped as Theodrick explained his wager, "Your armor is mine."

Jim and Claire's eyes went wide.

"Uh oh…" Toby said softly through the earpiece.

* * *

Blinky and the rest of the gang kept on walking, looking for a sure sign that they were headed in the right direction. The group began to grow tired. Their feet started to ache. With the heartstone on the other side of the country, many of the trolls began to lose hope of ever getting there. Many of them repeated, "Are we there yet?", making Nomura want to bash them in the head. Blinky, however, was determined. With all of the adventures they have experienced and the countless trials they have faced, they have left those battles prosperous. Blinky never lost hope. No matter how long it was going to take, he kept on believing that the journey would turn out successful. If Jim never lost hope in anything, neither should he.

As the trolls wandered, Blinky could see nothing but sand in the distance, wondering if he was anywhere near Las Vegas. Strong winds snatched the idea of finding any footprints left by Jim and Claire. He would've been able to track their scent if AAARRRGGHH! tagged along instead of sticking with Toby in Arcadia. Only the fates could tell now. Blinky hoped only for a miracle to show them the way. Suddenly, they saw something familiar to them. They came up near the troll cave they escaped from the day before. Nomura yelled in anger.

"You say you know where you're going. Do you though...do you reaaalllyy?" Nomura sarcastically states to him.

"There is a quote from the human Colin R. Davis which states, 'The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.'"

"I'm sorry, encyclopedia blue, but I believe that's what humans call, 'deviating from the subject'. You haven't even answered her question." Merlin said, being accusatory.

"Who asked you to comment!?" Blinky responded with a great deal of annoyance. He could hear all of the trolls behind him grumbling and complaining, wanting this whole search to be over already. He could hear comments such as, "Liar!" and "We're lost!". Although it hurt his pride, it didn't hurt his determination. A memory suddenly came to him. He recalled reading a non-fiction history book in the Arcadia Oaks library during his time as a human.

 _The earliest navigation methods involved observing landmarks or watching the direction of the sun and stars. Few ancient sailors ventured out into the open sea. Instead, they sailed within sight of land in order to navigate. When that was impossible, ancient sailors watched constellations to mark their position._

"Wait…although we are nowhere near the oceans, there is a likelihood that this stratagem would work in our favor. " Blinky brought his head up to look at the sky, seeing not one cloud up above him. Stars covered the sky like a blanket, shimmering as light gleamed from the moon. Blinky began searching. "Now, if only I can find Ursa Maj-" He gasped, pointing to the sky. "Ursa Major! That concludes that, if my calculations are correct, we need to traverse in…" Blinky began turning slowly to right, counting each step he tracked as he shifted. "...in this direction!" He slightly turned his head, making sure that he didn't lose track of which way they had to go.

"Your confidence amuses me. We are lost." Nomura said to him.

"Silence would be very much appreciated." Blinky retorted as he gestured his hand, pretending to zip his lips shut. Nomura shook her head and groaned before they and the trolls headed in the direction Blinky pointed.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, but can you give us a minute, Theodrick?" Claire asked as she wrapped her arm around Jim's, about to turn around.

"I prefer The Great Master Cressian, but your immaculate beauty and your gleaming purple battle armor speak to me in ways I could never describe." Theodrick said to her. Jim shifted his gaze to him with an irritated look.

"Okay, first of all, don't hit on _my_ girlfriend. Two...aren't you a little young...and tiny...and small...just a bit...to be hitting on girls? How old _are_ you anyway? Nine? Maybe ten?" Jim asked with curiosity.

"I'm eleven, thank you!" Theodrick responded.

"Wait, shouldn't you be with your parents?" Claire scratched the top of her head wondering. Theodrick pointed behind him at the man who brought him that box to stand on, wearing sunglasses and reading a magazine about race cars.

"My father is right over there. He couldn't help but bring me here. He knows I will face my enemies and CRUSH THEM WITH MY SUCCESS, BEATING THEM TILL THEY BLEED! Right, Daddy?" Theodrick said with a smile. His father didn't even look up when he spoke. His eyes were glued to that magazine.

"Yes, son. Do...um, whatever it is you said." His father said like he wasn't even listening. Jim raised an eyebrow. _Why the heck is he wearing sunglasses past 9 PM?_ Jim thought before both he and Claire turned their backs to Theodrick to talk privately.

"Seriously, Claire, why is everyone hitting on you tonight? I wish there could be a floating sign above your head that screams 'taken'." Jim said as he motioned his hands above her head.

"Funny. I thought you out of all people would be able to understand why everyone would be." Claire responded with a smirk, making Jim realize that as her boyfriend, he should know. Jim chuckled slightly.

"You know, you have a point there. And Tobes! you never told me that Mereaxes is a real living Maces and Talons legend! Why would you do that?! I can't risk exposing the fact that I'm..." Jim whispered angrily. "...part-troll!"

"Hey, come on, Jimbo! You're the Trollhunter! You defeated Bular, slew Gunmar to a rocky pulp, and saved both the human world and troll world! I felt like you deserved a title with power and...and gloriousness." Toby said as he clenched his fists with confidence.

"If it involved Gun Robot, yes, that would work. But a Maces and Talons convention? Seriously?! You know I don't know anything about this whole deal with dragons and wizards and pixies and-" Jim panicked before being interrupted.

"Woah, woah...Jim….pixies are in Ultimate Utopia. Wrong game. Maces and Talons has knights and rangers and-" Toby started rambling.

"Tobes, I'm stuck in a _really_ bad situation! I mean like an 'I'm going to be taken to area 51 and be experimented on if I don't win' situation!" Jim argued. Claire lost focus, shifting her gaze towards a dark alley nearby. She noticed something small and greyish purple moving in the shadows with its back facing the streets. It turned his head to reveal green glowing eyes.

 _Is that…no, it can't be._ Claire thought to herself. She felt as if she knew what that thing was. Suddenly, a few more of the same creature popped out from behind him. They started to come into view. Claire gasped, finally realizing what was over there. She tugged on Jim's arm.

"Hey, um, Jim? We have a problem!" Claire said to Jim as her tugging took his focus away from Toby.

"What? What's going on?" He asked her. She pointed towards the alleyway at the creatures. He recognized them too. "Oh no..." Jim couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing.

"Yeah, Jim…" Claire told him. "They're goblins."

 **CHAPTER 8 COMING SOON!**

 **And remember guys, updates are on my profile! Thanks!**


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